Stop mechanism for signal apparatus



model.)

T. N. VAIL.

STOP MECHANISM FOR SIGNAL APPARATUS. No. 246,696. Patented Sept. 6,1881.

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U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

THEODORE N. VAIL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

STOP MECHANISM FOR SIGNAL APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 246,696, dated September 6, 1881,

' Application filed June 8, 1881. (Model) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE N. VAIL, of Boston, in the county of Suflolk and State of Massachusetts, haveinven ted certain Improvements in StopMechanism for SignalingApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an electro-magnetic stop mechanism for clock trains or movements, and is embodied, utilized, and clearly shown in an electric signaling apparatus invented by me, for which I received Letters Patent June 7, 1881, No. 242,492. In the said patent an instrument is shown adapted to work in series and synchronously with other instruments of the'same characterand construction, which are placed each at a separate station on the same line-circuit, and operate to bring the alarms at such stations consecutively into a position where they may be sounded, each in its own time and at its own position, to the exclusion of the others. Each instrument consists of an ordinary clock train or movement controlled by a mechanical escapement, which may be of any suitable construction, and ot' a stopping device by which, when the said clock-movement'is in operation, it can be stopped at any point or at any time, for the before indicated.

The stopping device, which is the subject of my present invention, operates in each instrument to stop the clock-work whenever currents of a definite character are transmitted over the line, traversing the electro-ma-gnets of all the instruments included in the line-circuit. All the instruments on the circuit are thus simultaneously stopped, and when at rest may also be simultaneouslystarted by the transmission of a current or currents of an opposite character to those employed to operate the stopping mechanism.

ltis obvious, then, that the clock-train s, after having been set in motion, may, bymy invention, be brought to a standstill at any point of their progress, and consequently at the point on time at which the alarm at any particular orindividual station is in position to be sounded.

My invention consists, first, of an electromagnetic stopping device with polarized armature, combined with the mechanicalescapement of a clock-train, so as to act upon and purpose herein- 'ment maintains the clock-work at rest. detention is irrespective and independent of stop said escapement when a current of one polarity is sent, and release it by the operation ofa current ofopposite polarity; second, mechanism for bringing a clock or time train to a standstill and a controlling device for the same, such mechanism being arranged to engage the escapement of the clock-trains at or near the end of its oscillating movement, thus leaving it ready to again oscillate when disengaged by the stopping device.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a signaling apparatus containing my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are details showing the stopping device, Fig. 2 representing the escapement disengaged from said stopping device, as when the clockwork is in motion, and Fig. 3 represents it as locked and the clock-work at rest.

The clock-work L may bedriven by any suitable motorsuch as a weight or spring-and may bethe same as that shown in my former application. Its train terminates in an escapement-wheel, to, controlled by an escapement,

m, the movement of which is regulated by a lever, n, fixed on the same arbor as the pallet, and which is governed by the balance-wheel 7 5 B, which is provided with a hair-spring, h.

Attached in a suitable position in relation to the clock-work on the bed-plate or frame A is an electro magnet, M M, furnished with 'two soft-iron armatures, d d, pivoted at their centers on the arbor Z. These armatures are inductively polarized by the proximity of the permanent horseshoe-magnet E. The front armature, 01, carries a bell-hammer, p, anda rod and pin, g, by which it is engaged by the rim 1" of the permit-wheel a, and kept from vibrating, except when the said permit-wheel, which is fixed to the arbor of the spur-wheel a, and is thusrevolved by the clock-work, is in such a position that the openingcin the rimr is opposite to the pin g. No longer controlled by the permit-wheel, the armature d has then free movement. The rear armature, d, at its.

upper end, carries an upright rod, 1, to which is attached a horizontal pin, f. This nor- 5 mally engages with a unison-pin, c, on the surface of the spur-wheel a, and bysucli engage- This the position of the stopping device, and in the I00 apparatus shown serves as a unison or zero point at which the clock'train may automatically come to rest at the completion of each revolution. Attached to the lower end of the armature d is a stiff metallic wire, 70, placed at right angles to the armature itself. It terminates in a projection, q, engaging with the slot '0: of a lever, h, which is pivoted at j, and which is, at its upper end, provided with a curved extension, c. This extension 0, by a movement of the armature d in a definite direction, is advanced into engagement with the pin 0 of the escapementlever n, and thus arrests the motion of the clock-train. When the armature is moved in the opposite direction the curved extension is withdrawn and disengaged from the pin 0, releasing the clock-work and allowing it to resume its motion.

The permanent horseshoe-magnetE is placed near the base of the instrument, with its poles opposite and near to the armatures d d, giving to one of the armatures a permanent induced magnetism of north polarity, and to the other a permanent induced magnetism of south polarity, so that when a current of either direction is transmitted through the electro-magnet coils M M both armatures are affected, but oppositely. \Vhen the upper arm of d is attracted to the core of the electro-magnet the lower arm of the armature d is similarly attracted, and vice versa.

- The electro-magnet is placed in the line-circuit and the clock-work is normally at rest, being so retained, as hereinbefore described, by the engagement of the pin f, carried by the armature, with the unison-pin c of the wheel a.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The clock-trains are released from their unisons by sending from the tran smitting-stations successive currents of alternating polarity or direction,which operate on the respective electro-magnets, causing the armature d to vibrate, releasing, by the first electrical impulse, each time-train in the circuit from its unison, and, by the second impulse, from the escapementlock 1;. The clock-work, no longer held, will commence its movement.

It is proper here to state that the starting of the time-train from zero could be effected by a single impulse of any prearranged definite direction, followed by a single impulse of opposite direction, since the firstimpulse,which we will,for example, suppose to be of positive direction, releases the clock-work from its unison-pin, but locks the escapement, while the second, of opposite direction, unlocks the escapement, and as the unison-pin has now advanced beyond its poi ntof en gagement, the clock-train s continue to move, either until a complete revolution of the permit-wheel and unison-pin has been made or until a current or succession of currents ofthe first or positive direction is sent, which will again stop their movement by look ing the escapements at any point of the revolution. It is preferred to use a series or succession of impulses, as being equally certain to cause the trains to start, while by using such successive currents I am enabled to use an ordinary magneto-generator as the transmitting-instrument.

When the clock-trains have advanced to the desired point, which may beknown at the transmitting-station by the movements of a duplicate clock operating an index-finger over a graduated dial, a current or succession of currents is sent of the same character as that first transmitted, to release the clock-work from zero. This attracts the lower end of the armature d, and the pivoted lever h by such attraction brings the curved end 1; under the pin 0 of the escapement-lever n,locking the escapement or the oscillating governing portion of the escapement of each and every instrument in the circuit at or near the end of its oscillating movement, with the hair-spring in tension, thus leaving it ready and in position to oscillate again when disengaged by removal of the stopping device. The locking-armature dis not provided with a retractin g-sprin g, and consequently remains drawn to that pole of the electro-magnet to which it was last attracted until released by acurrent of opposite polarity. When it is desired again to release the stopping device and permit the clock-work to resume its motion a current of opposite or negative direction is sent through the circuit, causin g the electro-magnet to attract the upper end of the armature (l, placing it in position to engage the unison-pin e on the completion of the revolution of the spur-wheel a, and to repel the lever end of the armature, thereby rocking the lever h on its center j, and causing it to unlock the escapement. As soon as the projection 41 is withdrawn from under the pin 0 the movement of the clock-work will recommence, as the balance-wheel and hair-spring were stopped in tension and in positon to oscillate on the removal of the locking device. The movement of the wheel-work will then continue until the unison-pin e engages with the pin f on the extension of the armature. The clockwork is then at its original point of rest on said unison-pin.

Having now fully described my said invention and the manner of carrying the sameinto effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not claim herein the combination, with the mechanical escapement of a clock-train, of an electromagnetic stopping device with polarized armature arranged to stop said escapement when a current of one polarity is sent and to release it by the action of a current of opposite polarity, said matter being reserved for separate application for Letters Patent; but

What I do claim herein is- In a clock-train having an escapement, the hereinbefore-described stop mechanism, consisting of a stopping device and a controlling device to operate the same, the said stopping IIO device being arranged to stop the esoapement- In testimony whereof I have signed my name lever 01' oscillating governing portion of the to this specification, in the pres enee of two subescztpement at or near the end of its oscillatscribing witnesses, this 2d day of June, 1881. to

ing movement with the hair-spring of the bal- THEO. N. VAIL. 5 ance-wheel in tension, thereby leavin g it ready Witnesses: to again oscillate when released by the said JNO. M. WHEELER,

stopping device, substantially as described. WM. E. Ross. 

